This Is War
by To be loved is to be destroyed
Summary: Caroline still remembers the games they used to play when they were young. The reckless moments they had all those years ago. Before the war begun; before everything went wrong.- Caroline and Klaus belong to different kingdoms but when war starts everything changes. Klaroline/AU
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything or gain anything by this.

**A/N****: **I hope everyone will like this! I've been working really hard on it ! The basic plot is: Caroline, Elena, Bonnie and Katherine live in a kingdom that is next to the one the originals live in. When war between those two kingdoms is declared (a lot of things happen-why can't just say that?!) Klaus and Caroline meet under unfortunate circumstances and after the war is over they meet again but a lot of things have changed. So that's pretty much it. I really suck at summaries but I promise the story is better just give it a chance. This is an introduction to the story and I'm sorry it's so short, I promise the next chapters will be longer. Also, rating may change in future chapters.

Anyways I hope you all enjoy...

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**It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,**

**it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, **

**it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, **

**it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, **

**it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,**

**we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, **

**we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way**

**(C. Dickens- A tale of two cities)**

Prologue

Caroline still remembers the games they used to play when they were young. The reckless moments they had all those years ago. Before the war begun; before everything went wrong.

They were a happy group of friends; Elena, Katherine, Bonnie and her. They would always sneak out from whatever duties they had to do in the village and go to the meadows across the falls. They'd spend hours there, looking at the water falling, playing silly games and enjoying the sun.

That didn't change as they grew up, they'd still go to the meadows every day. They didn't sneak out anymore though; she and Katherine were up for it but Bonnie and Elena would always scold them, still it was part of their fun. So, they went at dusk, enjoying the sunset and talking about their day. Usually, she and Kat would tease Elena about Matt, Caroline's neighbor who had taken a fancy in Elena, while Bonnie laughed at their teasing and Elena's blushing.

Caroline liked the adventures they had together. But even though she loved Mystic Falls, she never felt like she belonged there. She always longed for something more, for adventures, something different. But at the time they lived in, different meant dangerous. So she had come to terms with the fact that this was going to be her life; small town and ordinary. But she had her friends and somehow that made everything better.

They were happy, they used to have hopes and dreams and they enjoyed every moment of every day. Caroline still smiles when she remembers those careless days. But war changed all that.

She still remembers the day when they learnt that war was coming. They all ended up in the meadows across the falls again, just before sunset but there were no laughs this time, no teasing, no games just fear. She always hated that feeling, the helplessness of it all.

_"What do you think is going to happen?" Elena asked with a trembling voice, finally breaking the silence._

_"I don't know Elena. They are vampires and werewolves and we are humans. What do you think is going to happen?" Katherine replied sarcastically, but you could see the fear and dread in her eyes, she couldn't hide it anymore._

_When the Mikaelson kingdom had declared war no one could believe it. Their neighbors and they had never had a great relationship. The one kingdom was consisted of mainly vampires and werewolves while the other had witches and just humans, so they were never friends. However, they had managed to live in peace with one another. That, apparently, was about to change._

_"Maybe the witches will protect us", Bonnie said hopefully though she knew she was lying. Her grandmother was a witch and by the time Bonnie turned 20, in 2 years, she would be one too. So she knew how witches worked, in the end they would make a deal to protect their own and leave the humans to fend for themselves._

_"My father is leaving tomorrow for the capital, to help in the war", Caroline said, finally speaking up, ignoring the conversation her friends were having. She had learnt of her father's departure this morning along with the news of the war. Her relationship with her father was never the best. He never approved of what she did, always finding something that she needed to be better at, something that she needed to fix about herself. But still, he was her father and she loved him._

_Her friends turned slowly to look back at her, the fear in their eyes now replaced with sadness. They understood now the distant and sad look that Caroline had in her eyes today; they realized now how the war was slowly ruining their lives, that even though it hadn't even begun, it was already tearing their friend apart._

_"Care it's going to be alright", Bonnie said squeezing her hand reassuringly._

_"Yeah, your dad is strong and he knows about stuff like this he can help" Katherine said agreeing with Bonnie._

_It was true. Her father used to work as the head of the guard against vampires at the capital. He used to ensure that no vampires were in their land, keeping the peace between the two kingdoms in place. When he met Caroline's mother, Liz, he had decided that he wanted a family so he had moved to Mystic Falls with his new wife. It was the nearest village to the Capital and he had chosen this to be his home so he could offer his help if the Kingdom ever needed him, like it did now._

_"Yeah, I guess you guys are right. Everything is going to be fine", Caroline replied wiping her tears away and smiling back at her friends weakly._

_She wanted to protest more, cry and scream about how unfair the world was. How everything was ruined and that things would get worse and worse from now on. War was coming; nothing was going to be alright. Kat was right; they were mere humans standing against vampires, they had no chance. But she didn't say what she wanted, instead she put on a brave face for her friends and told them the lie they wanted to hear. The life she knew was going to get ruined in a few days and she just wanted to enjoy the few moments of peace she had left with her friends._

_So the four of them sat quietly in the meadow watching the sunset, trying to make sure that they would never forget this, that no matter what the future and the war had in store for them, they would always remember their carefree days in the meadows next to the falls, watching the sunset and laughing._

And in the end, they never forgot those moments.

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**A/N:** So what do you guys think? Do you like it? I would love to hear your thoughts on this! Pretty please? Reviews are everything to me, I'll pay you(kidding-maybe not?)!

The next chapter is ready and I'll post it on a few days so stay tuned! (also I promise that there is Klaus in it!)

Also, follow me on tumblr (come on, pretty please?), I'm tobeloved-is-tobedestroyed.


	2. The last fort

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**A/N:**Hello everybody! I just want to thank everyone who reviewed/favored/followed the story! I love you all so much and I am very grateful for everything!

So, here is chapter one. As promised I wasn't very late to update and there is Klaus in it (yay). I hope you enjoy this and I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this. So here we go, catch you guys at the bottom...

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**Destroy, for the sake of Destruction**  
**Kill, for the sake of Killing ****(unkown)**

Chapter 1:

The last fort

It had been there months since the war had started, three months full of pain and death. The Mikaelsons had won every battle with very few loses and now they were just outside Mystic Falls, two days away from the capital if they won this battle as well.

Caroline saw a piece of her old life being destroyed every day for the past three months, living in fear that every day was going to be the last, that her father would die. She thought of how stupid but carefree at the same time her old life used to be. She used to worry about petty things, complain about everything and care about nothing, but now in a few hours her life could be over. The battle was going to begin shortly and everyone knew that if they lost this the Mikaelsons had pretty much won the war. Mystic Falls was the last fort before the capital so if they lost; the war was lost as well. The city was filled with many officers and soldiers who were gathered there to help while others, like her father, were in the capital preparing themselves for an attack. _Funny_, she thought,_ all this time she had wondered if her father was still alive and she learned of his whereabouts now, the day she may die._

The night was silent, something that was never a good sign in times of war. She and Bonnie were in her house waiting for the attack. Elena and Katherine were in their own home with their mother doing the same. They had wanted to be together, one last time, but Elena and Katherine's mother hadn't allowed it. Jeremy, her only son, and her husband were fighting tonight so she had wanted her other children with her. Caroline would have been alone but Bonnie's grandmother had decided to help in the battle with any spells she could do while her son was fighting. Her own mother was sick and in bed, unable to move from the hunger and the illness; the Mikaelsons had cut off their food supply two weeks ago, leaving them weak before they attacked. So, she and Bonnie sat quietly in her home's attic where they could see from the window what was happening in the walls around the town.

They hadn't bothered to hide. Vampires could not enter the house unless they were invited and if the Mikaelsons sent werewolves they could sniff them out, it was pointless to hide or run. If they caught them, Caroline and Bonnie were to set the house on fire and die with them. So, they sat and waited for the inevitable to happen. They still had hope, the witches hadn't all abandoned them as they had predicted; most did but some had stayed. Hope dies the last, Caroline thought, but they would probably die tonight.

She watched Bonnie sitting in her chair across the room, her eyes fixed on the window, her hands shaking from fear. Bonnie knew that if they caught her and realized she was to be a witch in just two years, death would be too kind. They would force her to work with them. She was right to be afraid, Caroline thought. _Death would be too kind for all of them_. They all knew what was to happen _when_ the Mikaelsons won the war.

To the men, if they were strong and knew how to fight they would be turned into vampires, so that they could serve and protect the royal family and the people they considered as important, or join their army. They would be compelled by the royal family to always serve them and they would forever lose their free will. If they were not strong enough and didn't know how to fight their purpose would be to feed the vampires and make children so they could do the same after they died.

The women were another case. After the war was over, if they weren't drained on the spot they would be taken away. They would go to the Mikaelson kingdom and there the royal family would chose some of them to use them however they pleased. The others would be given to soldiers they thought had helped especially during the war. The ones that were left would be left to live their own lives and have children so that they could provide a future source of food for the vampires; still they would be compelled to always obey.

The only ones that would remain alive and unharmed were the elder and the older adults who were to be left alone even after the war ended. They would be able to live the rest of their lives as they wished unless of course some vampire decided to make dinner out of them.

Caroline was so scared of what could happen to her, death was the easy way out for her. The only thing that made her feel better was that her mother would probably stay unharmed. She was ill and in her late forties, the soldiers wouldn't be interested in her.

Her thoughts were interrupted but the sound of screaming. She swallowed hard before looking across the room to where Bonnie sat with a horrified look on her face matching Caroline's. _Here we go_, she thought. As she looked outside from the window she couldn't really see anything just the torches at the wall, but the screams never stopped.

She had learned that vampires always fought in the dark, _they were creatures of the shadows_. The screams kept on going, accompanied by the sound of monsters growling in the battlefield. She realized it was a full moon. The Mikaelsons had brought the werewolves with them apparently. Their kingdom was mainly consisted by vampires but there were also wolves. Wolves that were currently tearing apart people that she knew her whole life.

She thought she'd never forget that sound, the tear of flesh, the screams and the growls with the smell of death in the air.

Across the room Bonnie was shaking from fear. Caroline moved to hug her, the both of them now sitting in the small chair, holding each other, trying not to listen, not to think of what was happening outside. She should have stopped her grandmother, Bonnie thought, she shouldn't have let her go out there. After her mother had abandoned her and her father had decided to focus on his works around the village, her Grams was all she had.

Suddenly, light came through the window. _Fire_, Caroline thought. She got up from the chair and looked outside, spotting where the fire was; the entire wall surrounding Mystic Falls was burning. The vampires would have never done that. Fire was one of the few things that could kill them. She realized it was their own men, they had realized that they were losing and they had lit up the fire to take as many vampires as they could down with them.

"No", Bonnie said after getting up and looking outside the window as well.

Caroline looked at her confused but then she realized; Bonnie's Grams was on that wall helping with the spells.

"Bonnie whatever you are thinking of doing, it is a bad idea", knowing Bonnie she was already planning how she was going to save her Grams.

"I can't leave her. She took care of me Caroline, it's my turn to take care of her" Bonnie replied, having already made up her mind and climbing down the stairs quickly.

"Bon you'll get yourself killed if you go out there", Caroline said following her down the stairs.

"You can't change my mind, Care. I'm going, you should stay here with your mom", Bonnie had already reached the kitchen where the back door was, her hand on the doorknob, ready to leave.

Caroline looked back at her with pleading eyes, begging her not to go. But Bonnie just shook her head in response, opening the door and stepping outside. Caroline knew she couldn't let her go out there all by herself so she did the only thing she could do, she decided to help.

"Wait! If you are going I am going with you. There is no way that I'm letting you go out there on your own", Caroline stepped outside the house as well, but not before grabbing a knife on her way out 'just in case', she thought.

"Caroline your mom…", Bonnie begun as she watched her friend close the door behind her.  
"We'll take your Grams and return here. My mom is going to be alright, they can't get in the house", Caroline pulled Bonnie's hand leading her towards the wall through the safest way she knew, "come on, we need to hurry", she nodded convincing Bonnie that she knew what she was doing and that there was no way to talk her out of it.

Bonnie knew Caroline well enough to understand that so she said nothing and followed her friend. She was so grateful for this, she would have gone anyways but now that Caroline was with her she felt safer.

The girls run quickly through the muddy road, trying to get to the wall as fast as they could. Now that they were outside the house Caroline noticed that the screams were worse. Also she could see figures burning in the distance somewhere close to the gate on the wall. Some were vampires but some must have been humans as well, she thought. There was no way they could have been left unharmed by a fire that big. They had to get to Bonnie's Grams immediately or else she might even burn alive.

They took a turn to the right to get where some stairs to get to the wall would have been but once they reached their destination; they noticed that there was a hole next to the stairs and a vampire standing facing them.

Both girls suddenly stopped when they noticed who, or rather _what_, was standing in front of them. Caroline looked carefully at him. The fire on the other side of the wall provided enough light for her to see him quite clearly. He was tall, with black hair and blue eyes but there were veins spreading under his eyes and his fangs were bared, his right hand was also wounded but it was already healing. He probably punched through that wall and that was how the hole was created in the first place, she thought. She looked at the stairs, he hadn't destroyed them, Bonnie could still get to her Grams but the fire was spreading quickly and the vampire standing in front of them wasn't going to make things easy, she had to do something. She clutched the knife in her hand that she had grabbed earlier, she knew she couldn't kill the vampire with it but still she could use it to get his attention so Bonnie could get away.

He was looking at them with a smirk on his face, watching them like a wolf does its prey, reveling in their fear. They couldn't get away and he knew he was going to enjoy killing them. But Caroline couldn't let that happen, so she did the only think she could think of.

She raised her knife and pointed it towards the vampire, him finally noticing what she was holding in her hand all this time. As he did the smirk left his face and it was replaced by a small mocking smile, _did that stupid girl really think she could hurt him with this_? However Bonnie was looking at her terrified wondering what on earth she was doing.

After that, everything happened in a blur. Caroline yelled at Bonnie to run and as her friend followed her command, knowing that it was the only thing she could do, the vampire was ready go after her but instead Caroline cut the veins in her left hand with her knife. So, while Bonnie continued to run, the vampire didn't follow. The blood had gotten his attention and he turned back at Caroline.

She threw the knife to the ground, letting both her hands fall to her sides, taking a few steps back and leaving a single tear escape her eyes, dreading what she knew was going to happen. The vampire lunged for her, in a flash he pinned her against the wall, next to the hole he had created and he sunk his fangs in her bleeding wrist.

When she cut her hand before, Caroline had thought that it was the most horrible thing ever, but now she realized how wrong she was. As the vampire was draining her of her blood, tearing into her flesh with no remorse, she felt like her life was flowing out of her. Her knees went weak and she would have fallen to the ground if the vampire wasn't pressing her against the wall. She tried to breathe through the pain but she couldn't, she closed her eyes trying to forget what was happening, thinking that soon it would all be over, but the pain was still there. She wanted to scream but her voice got caught in her throat, she wanted to do something, _anything_, just so that her pain would stop but there was nothing. All she could do was wait for death and welcome him when he finally came.

But Caroline was wrong, death would not come for her that night. Suddenly, she felt the vampire being pushed off her, his fangs leaving her skin, his body no longer holding her in place. She fell to the ground, holding her hand in her lap, trying to keep it somehow to stop the bleeding. She willed her eyes to look up and then she saw him.

Another man was standing there looking at the vampire that was now lying on his back on the ground. The man had probably thrown him off of her and now he was facing away from her, probably thinking what to do next.

Caroline had never been a lucky person but somehow this time she was. She was utterly grateful for this man's appearance, without him she would still be writhing in pain while that vampire sucked the life out of her. However, she wondered how was it that this man was strong enough to push that vampire off of her.

"You know, when you said 'take care of those girls' I hadn't realized that you'd come by in a few minutes and play knight in shining armor", the vampire got off the ground dusting his clothes and smirking while looking at the other man. It was then that Caroline realized that other man was a vampire as well and furthermore he was an old one since he was the one giving the orders. _So much for being lucky_, Caroline thought.

"First of all, mate, you didn't take care of the girls, one of them is missing. And second of all, you should know me well enough by now to know that I never play knight in shining armor. I just have other plans".

She knew the man was smirking as he said that, he had his back turned on her but she could feel it. That and the glint in her attacker's eyes as he looked at her before he spoke again was enough to make her terrified.

"Oh, well in that case don't let me interrupt your plans. But for the record though, there is a battle going on _right now_".

The man, vampire whatever he was, turned to look at her as his friend said this, as if he was considering something. He hadn't turned completely but she could see the side of his face clearly, the fire that was still raging providing enough light as if it was morning. His clothes were covered by blood, not his own apparently, but his face was clean and she could see that he was beautiful. His eyes her so blue and as they met hers for only a moment she felt like she could get lost in them and unlike her attacker the veins were not spreading under them, he looked serene and peaceful. She noticed he had dimples and his lips her full, he truly was beautiful she thought for the second time that night. However she dismissed all thoughts like this as she remembered his words; 'I have other plans' he had said. She knew that whatever those other plans were she really didn't want to know, but she also knew that she'd have no choice in the matter. She clutched her wounded hand that was in her lap in fear. It still hurt and she knew that if she tried to stand up she'd fall down, she was too weak. _Great_, she thought, _I can't ever run_.

"Go after the other girl, find her, do _not_ kill her. I want to see her tomorrow" the man had turned his back on her once again and Caroline noticed that his tone had suddenly changed into a colder one and more distant. The other vampire said nothing in response as if he knew better than to say anything more to whoever that man was. He looked at her one last time before he disappeared in a flash. The way he had looked at her made Caroline nervous, as if she didn't have enough reasons to be scared. It was like he was sorry for her, for what was going to happen but also took some sick pleasure out of it.

Finally, the man turned to face her, a smirk on his face while his eyes held something she could not quite figure out. He studied her carefully, his eyes taking in every detail about her, as if he was planning his next move and trying to figure her out in the meantime. She briefly wondered if he was a vampire or a werewolf. Probably a vampire, she thought, since he hasn't turned on the full moon. _This keeps getting better,_ she realized_, I am bleeding in front of a vampire who saved me from another vampire for no apparent reason and I cannot ever run to get away from this_.

"Well hello there little one" he kneeled down in front of her, his eyes focused at her wounded wrist, never meeting hers.

"You look like you could use some help, love. Allow me". She looked at him confused, wondering what he meant. But before she could react he pulled up his sleeve and bit down on his arm, pushing his bleeding wrist on her mouth, forcing her to drink his blood.

She struggled against him but she could not escape his iron-like grip, his one hand at her head keeping her in place while the other was bleeping in her mouth. She didn't know why he was doing this but it didn't matter. He was feeding her his blood and this could only mean two things. Either he wanted to make her a vampire for some unknown reason or he was saving her so he could use her latter. Whichever it was, she'd rather die, but it appeared that she had no say in the matter.

He pulled away once he was sure she had fully healed and got up. She followed him and rose from the ground as well, having found her strength back. She wiped of some of his blood that was around her mouth disgusted whilst looking at him confused.

"Why did you do that? What do you want from me", she tried to take a few steps back, to get away from him, but her back met the wall after two small steps. She couldn't run, not even now.

"So you speak after all", he mused ignoring her question, "I was beginning to worry that Damon had cut off your tongue".

"Damon?"

"Yes, the vampire that attacked you earlier. You're welcome by the way, sweetheart", this reminded her of what had happened before, bringing back her focus.

"You didn't answer me. What do you want from me?" she repeated bolder this time.

He just smirked in response. "You know love you are very brave. You let a vampire bite you to save your friend and now you are demanding answers from another vampire. You should be more careful, being so brave could get you in trouble".

"I think being brave has already gotten me in enough trouble. What worse could possibly happen?" Caroline replied without thinking.

The man chuckled at this. He took a step forward, moving closer to her and just like that her fear returned. She was stuck between the wall and his approaching figure. This was her only chance at running, even if she would not make it she had to try and her window of opportunity was quickly disappearing as he approached.

So, she made her escape, but as soon as she started running away from him he flashed in front of her and pinned her against a tree. She gasped at how quickly he had moved, quicker than _Damon_, she really had no chance. He smirked again but this time she could see that his eyes her blank, not like when he talking to her, it made her fear him more for she had no way of telling what his next move was going to be. They were quite close and she noticed once again how beautiful he was but this was not the time to think that. She trembled as he raised a knife, _her knife_ she noticed. '_When did he even get this?'_, she wondered.

She was shaking from fear, but she didn't scream or try to escape again, she knew it was pointless. If she was going to die or be turned into a vampire - whatever he was planning - she wouldn't die while begging some vampire to save her.

"No tears? Aren't you going to beg for your life, love?" he said studying her again.

_Never_, she thought. She looked back at him with a renowned sense of bravery, never one to back down, always so stubborn. She was not going to give him the satisfaction of having complete power over her.

"You are going to kill me anyways so why bother?"

He seemed to consider what she said before, and to her surprise, chuckling and lowering his knife, taking a few steps back.

"No, love, I'm not going to. You should get back now", he stopped for a while before continuing as if to listen to something, "The battle is almost over and you've lost. Go hide somewhere so you don't get yourself killed. Starting tomorrow morning you are officially a captive", he grinned as he said this, "So go on, love. Just a small warning; don't try to run away from this village. It won't end up well for you", as he said this last sentence his tone had changed again and she realized it would be wise to stay inside, if she valued her life.

She didn't need to be told twice. She began to walk away, not running, in fear that it may challenge him somehow to come after her. She started thinking about Bonnie again; she had to return home to see what had happened with her, if she had made it with her Grams safely. Also, she had to check upon her mother. However, for a moment she let her curiosity take the better of her. He had saved her in a way and she wanted to know who he was, so she voiced her thoughts.

"You sort of saved me so you might as well tell me your name. I'm Caroline", she offered.

"Klaus, pleasure to meet you sweetheart", he replied with a small smile on his face.

With that she turned around and left, heading back home and letting her worries overtake her. She wondered briefly if she'd ever see Klaus again. He had saved her so he couldn't be that bad, perhaps he was a good person despite being a vampire, she thought.

_If only she knew._

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**A/N: **So what did you guys think? Did you like it? Please review I really want to know what you think about this... Pretty please!

Also I wanted to talk to you guys about updates and the next chapters. I have almost finished chapter 2 but I want to edit it and make sure that everything is in place so I will probably update on Saturday. I was actually thinking of establishing Saturday as my "update day", meaning I will update every Saturday. So what do you guys think about that?

Lastly, I was thinking of changing the rating from T to M. No, don't get all excited there is no smut _**(yet) **_but since this is a war/violence story I was thinking better safe than sorry. So from the next chapter I will probably change the rating. Is everybody okay with that?

I hope you have a nice time till Saturday... Love you all!:D


	3. After the storm

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**A/N: **Hello everybody! Well it has been a while! I know and I am so so sorry! I know I said I had the next chapter pretty much finished but it didn't turn out the way I wanted and I re-wrote it and I didn't have much time so... I am so sorry again and I can not apologise enough for this delay, but I truly am sorry.

As it turns out I won't be able to update every week like I had originally planned but I promise I will try and update as fast as I can! The next chapter won't be late and I mean it this time. I have some holidays now and I promise I will try to write more.

Also, I want to thank everybody who reviewed/favored/followed this story! I hope you haven't given up on this story... You have no idea how much this means to me and I love each one of you!

So with no further delay here it is... This chapter is dedicated to the dear anon that pointed out to me how late I had been with my updates (again I am so sorry)... Hope you guys enjoy, catch you at the bottom.

Flashbacks from the previous night are in italics.

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**And after the storm,  
I run and run as the rains come  
And I look up, I look up,  
on my knees and out of luck,  
I look up.  
**

Chapter 2:

After the storm

The next morning Klaus was sitting in his tent that they had set outside the village before the siege. Some soldiers, lead by his brother Elijah, were settled in town after the battle but he had chosen to stay outside leaving his brother to go in and make the necessary announcements and actions. They had won the battle yesterday and with minimal loses. The fire the locals had set had been predicted so they were prepared; the most important soldiers protected by witches' spells. Now his men were sent to raid the houses and gather everyone in the village square for Elijah to make announcements and for him to decide what to do with each prisoner after that.

He thought back to the blonde girl last night, _Caroline_. He knew he was going to see her today and he looked forward to it. The previous night, he had wanted to find another way into the village so he could finish the battle sooner rather than later and perhaps taste what Mystic Falls had to offer before the battle ended. So he and Damon had decided that since there wasn't a back door to the wall surrounding this village they would create one.

He had noticed the girls and told Damon to take care of them; he had just broken a hole into a very thick and strong wall so he figured that he could have used the snack. However, once he saw what Caroline did he was impressed. Never in a thousand years had he met anyone who would do something like that just to protect their friends. Some would have thought that the action was stupid but he knew better, this girl possessed qualities that few had; loyalty was one of the few things that mattered to him. So, he saved her, it was an impulse, he just knew he _couldn't_ let her die. He had no plan for afterwards; all he knew was that he had to save her.

"_You know, when you said 'take care of those girls' I hadn't realized that you'd come by in a few minutes and play knight in shining armor_", Damon was mocking him but he was truly starting to wonder what was it that he was doing and why. Was playing knight in shining armor the name for this?

He said a few snarky remarks with Damon and then he turned to look at the girl, wondering, trying to figure out what made him act so irrational. '_I have other plans_', he had said to Damon but he really had no idea what those plans were. He tried to study her, searching to find a reason for her actions this time rather than his own. He was surprised to find her studying him as well; she really was something else. He noticed her wrist, it was badly damaged; Damon hadn't been kind with her. Something about that made him really angry and he didn't know why; he barely knew this girl. He realized then that he wanted to know her, wanted _her_.

However, he begun to wonder what she and her friend were doing out there on a night like that. He realized that for those girls to go out while the battle was happening there had to be an important reason and he could not wait to find out. So, with a colder tone that before - silently warning Damon that the time for snarky remarks had passed - he sent him away to find the other girl.

Finally, he was alone with her. He noticed her wrist was still bleeding, so, in another impulse he decided that feeding her his blood was the right decision. He knew that for some reason, that was still unknown to him, he couldn't let her die and leaving her like that bleeding would mean her inevitable death so he saved her. She struggled and he was not surprised. All humans struggled when a vampire fed them its blood; it was natural for them. However, he knew that her dislike of his blood was not the reason she struggled. She was a rebel he had figured and even though he was certain she knew that he was saving her, she would always struggle. He liked that about her, he always liked a good hunt.

"_Why did you do that? What do you want from me?_" She was demanding answers from him, proving to be braver than he thought in the beginning. Of course he didn't answer her, distracting her attention with trivial things. However he made a note of her bravery; demanding anything from a vampire was bold on the borders of insanity. And he wasn't just a vampire. He wondered briefly if she had noticed that his eyes were yellow and not red. Probably not, but it didn't matter at that moment.

He voiced his thoughts, telling her how brave he thought she was and what the consequences of that may be.

"_I think being brave has already gotten me in enough trouble. What worse could possibly happen?_" her response didn't surprise him this time. He expected nothing less from someone like her. He realized then that he had come to admire the little human girl to an extent, her bravery and loyalty had gotten his attention.

He begun to approach her but as soon as she realized that she was strong again she tried to run. _Bad move sweetheart_, he thought. In a flash he had grabbed the knife that she had dropped before and he had her pined against a tree.

"_No tears? Aren't you going to beg for your life, love?_" he was threatening her with that knife still trying to figure out if he was going to kill her after all or not.

"_You are going to kill me anyways so why bother?_" her response left him silenced and he tried to figure her out again.

He had killed countless of people and yet he could not remember anyone that, in the very end, did not cry or beg. She really was something else. He knew he could not kill her, perhaps he should but he couldn't. She was different, she challenged him. He wanted her and he would have her. Once this bloody war was over he would have her and then he would find a way to kill her before she became his weakness. So, he sent her on her way but not before warning her what would happen if she tried to run away from this village. His kindness should not be mistaken for weakness; _never_, he thought.

"_You sort of saved me so you might as well tell me your name. I'm Caroline_", just before she left she surprised him one more time this time with a friendly offer. Foolishly she must have mistaken him for a kind man, he thought; that was a mistake.

"_Klaus, pleasure to meet you sweetheart_", he said smirking at her. He would really enjoy this one. _Caroline_, he liked the name. It suited her; it was special just like she was.

Damon entered his tent and just like that his thoughts about Caroline were interrupted.

"The werewolves and Elijah have gathered everyone in the town square".

He nodded in acknowledgment and motioned for Damon to approach him.

He was looking at a map of the all the roads to the capital making his plans for tomorrow. They would be leaving at dawn and in two days they would take the capital and then the war would be over. He was sure they would win there was no doubt for that; everyone knew this. Before he would be sad that the war would be over and there wouldn't be more fighting but now he had find something more interesting to fill his time with, or rather someone.

He showed Damon the route Elijah had proposed. Damon nodded in approval after studying the plan for a while. They never said plans like that out loud; always in secret with a witch's spell and when there wasn't one like now, they communicated with signals.

"So what happened with the girl last night? Did you find her?" Klaus said changing the subject, remembering Caroline and her friend.

"No, I didn't actually", Damon said carefully, failing Klaus was never a good thing, "but I'm sure we'll see her today. There is nowhere she can go. Also, I'm sure that you'll be interested in knowing that she is a witch", he continued trying to divert Klaus' attention with other information.

"A witch?" Klaus was surprised; if the girl was a witch then why didn't she use her magic to escape Damon the first time she met with him.

"Yes. A young one though, I'd say she needs a year or two before she becomes a proper one. Once I caught her and she had nowhere to go she tried to make a spell to kill me. It didn't work, obviously, but she managed to knock me out. She needs time but once she can use her powers properly I think she will be a strong one".

A young witch; that was interesting, Klaus thought. Damon was right she had to be powerful to knock him out while she was so young. She could prove to be useful in the future and he knew exactly where to find her and more importantly _who_ would help him do that. He knew it would be difficult but he would enjoy taunting Caroline and in the end, compulsion was always there.

"I'll probably regret saying this but how come or you not yelling at me about how useless I am and all those stuff you usually say when I screw something up?" Damon should have known better than saying that but he couldn't resist the temptation; he really was surprised.

Klaus just smirked in response to that. He had other thoughts in his mind to be mad about Damon; the beautiful blonde from last night still haunted his thoughts.

"I guess blondie gave you a reason to be happy" Damon had overestimating Klaus' good mood continued to tease him.

_Bad move_. In a flash Klaus had him by the neck, fangs barred and pinned to one of the wooden pillars that supported his tent.

"That is actually none of your concern, so I would suggest you keep your comments to yourself if you want to continue breathing. Am I clear?" his grip on Damon's throat tightening with every word so that it barely left the other vampire room to speak.

"Yes, very clear, crystal", Damon managed to choke out.

"Now why don't you go and make yourself useful somehow?"

With one last threatening look Klaus let Damon go, practically throwing him towards the exit of the tent. He grabbed the glass of wine laced with blood that was one the table and drunk, trying to figure out how and most importantly why he had gotten so angry about Damon's snarky comment about Caroline. Something about the image of her being drained by Damon last night made his blood boil and once Damon had referred to her today he remember what had occurred. He was always very possessive about everything he considered as his but he knew this wasn't his possessive side. He realized that Caroline awoke other emotions in him that he did not particularly enjoy. Yes, he was possessive but never jealous; jealously implied caring and he did not care. The sooner he was done with her the better for him, he figured, he did not need a weakness.

He finished his drink and put the glass on the table. Thoughts of the beautiful blonde were set aside, soon Elijah would finish his speech and he would have to meet with every single villager and decide their fate. He didn't normally do that but he was leaving tomorrow and he had some time so he had decided to indulge himself in some of the local cuisine. Also now he had someone to look for, or rather several someones. The previous night they had caught a prisoner whose last name was Bennett; the witch was very a very powerful one indeed. Meeting with Caroline again as well wouldn't hurt.

* * *

Caroline was sitting in her small kitchen waiting for the werewolves to knock on her door and lead her along with her mother and Bonnie in the town square for "announcements". She fought the urge to scoff just thinking about the word they were using to describe what they were going to do; they were going to tell them who had been taken as prisoners and who had been killed and then they would order each of them to their new lives.

The battle had been lost as most had predicted. It had lasted most of the night and the screams only stopped at dawn. They did not know who had survived and who hadn't, but vampires rarely took prisoners from the battle; if you were strong enough to fight them, they killed you. Caroline realized though that not knowing was better, it left room for a little hope. She shouldn't have left Bonnie out the previous night, she thought. If she hadn't then Bonnie would not know and everything would be better; there would be hope. She looked away with teary eyes towards the closed door to the guest bedroom next to the stairs, blinking back a few tears as she heard her friend's sobs coming from the room.

Last night had been a disaster. After Bonnie managed to escape she had made her way to where her Grams was at the wall but before she even got there the vampire that Caroline had helped her escape caught up with her. Luckily and to Caroline's surprise Bonnie in that hour of need had remembered a spell that her Grams had taught her, she had told her to use in cases like this; when there was nothing else she could do. Bonnie had explained to Caroline that because she was from a strong line of witches, the Bennetts, she could make a few spells even though she was quite young. Bonnie had tried to kill the vampire that was after them but she didn't succeed. However, she managed to knock him out long enough to escape and reach her Grams. She found her worn out by the spells, trying to catch her breath. It didn't take a lot for Bonnie to convince her to come back with her to Caroline's.

By the time they had reached the house Caroline was already inside. She had just returned home and after checking up on her mother who seemed to be getting better, she had sat on the kitchen getting more worried about Bonnie as the time passed.

_Just in time to calm Caroline's nerves, when she was about to exit the house once again, the back door opened revealing Bonnie helping her exhausted grandmother to walk._

_"Oh my God what happened?"_

_Caroline immediately shot up from her chair and helped Bonnie carry her grandmother._

_"Nothing child everything is alright; I'm just a little tired"._

_"Is there any place we can get her to lie down so she can rest?"_

_"Yes of course right this way", Caroline motioned towards the open door in the guest room next to the stairs and helped Bonnie move her Grams there and get her to lie on the bed._

_Bonnie sat in the bed next to her grandmother making sure she was tucked in safely, just like her Grams used to do the same to her when she was younger. The older woman caught upon the gesture and offered a small smile in return. Caroline slowly exited the room and waited at the door not wanting to interrupt the moment but anxious to make sure her friend was alright after what had happened._

_"Go rest Bon, I'll be fine okay? We'll talk latter"._

_Bonnie nodded reluctantly and moved off the bed, making her way towards the door slowly, where Caroline stood._

_"I love you sweetie, remember that", Sheila's confession was barely over a whisper but Bonnie heard her Grams' sweet words just before she exited the room._

_"I love you too Grams", she whispered back as she closed the door softly._

_The girls made their way silently towards the kitchen, careful not to disturb any of the two women currently sleeping despite the sound of screams that kept on going throughout the night. Once they reached the small room and before Caroline got to ask the million questions she had in mind, Bonnie took her friend in a bone-crushing hug, surprising Caroline since she was the one that usually hugged everyone._

_"Thank you, thank you so much. What you did for me back there… I'll never forget this Care", Bonnie relished her taking a few steps back, "how did you make it out of there anyways? Are you okay? How did you escape?", Bonnie started bombarding her with questions taking in her friend's appearance; dress filled with mud and blood._

_"Calm down Bon. I'm fine, don't worry. Why don't you take a sit and we'll discuss what happened"._

_Caroline would normally be chatting Bonnie's ear off about all that had happened but this time she wasn't so sure herself how, or more precisely _why_ she had made it out alive. Her friend didn't notice her reluctance to talk and she was glad for it, not knowing what she would have told her. She motioned for Bonnie to grab a chair and sit with her, trying to figure out what to say to her friend about tonight._

_"So…"_

_"Another vampire came after you left. He sort of saved me; he fed me his blood and sent me home. I'm okay now", Caroline decided to go with the truth but she left out some details; still trying to figure out what had happened she was in no position to give Bonnie more explanations._

_"Another vampire? Wait, why would he save you?"_

_"I really don't know. It's rather complicated but it doesn't really matter. All that matters is that everything is alright now"._

_Bonnie didn't seem so convinced but she let the matter go focusing on the bright side of the night; both of them were fine and her Grams was safe. However Caroline still kept wondering why Klaus had saved her. She had asked but he hadn't replied; she wondered briefly if she would ever see him again and what would happen then. He had saved her but he was still the enemy. Realizing that dwelling over the subject longer would do her no good, she dismissed those thoughts. She had to learn if _Damon_ had caught up with Bonnie and what had happened with her friend._

_"What happened with you? How did you find your Grams? Are you okay?"_

_Bonnie smiled softly happy to see her friend back to her neurotic self; she was still worried about her and what had happened tonight with that other vampire but she knew better than to press the matter more, Caroline would tell her when she was ready. She told Caroline everything that had happened that night, still feeling the energy lingering inside of her after that small spell. She wanted to do it again, it felt different than anything ever before, she felt connected to nature in a way she had never felt possible, it was good different._

_"Wow so can you do like spells now? Are you sure you even killed him?"_

_"I don't know. Grams said on the way here that I can only do spells because I am from a strong bloodline of witches but just small ones though, nothing big or I'll hurt myself. And I don't think I killed him, I probably just gave him an aneurism or something"._

_Both girls laughed a little at this, forgetting for a moment that battle that was still going on outside._

_"I guess that I just wanted to say how sorry I am", Bonnie said looking down guiltily._

_"What for?"_

_"I could have made that vampire pass out before; you wouldn't have to go through all that"._

_"Don't be silly Bonnie, you didn't know and even if you did there was still that other vampire around and you could have gotten hurt. Trust me everything is fine now okay?"_

_"Okay"._

_Caroline squeezed Bonnie's hand on the table, further reassuring her about everything. She didn't want to think what would have happened if Bonnie had made the spell earlier. Klaus didn't seem like someone who would let them go after that. '_Just a small warning; don't try to run away from this village. It won't end up well for you_', she shivered as she remember his earlier warning, there was a possessiveness in his tone but most importantly it was clear that he was not joking around. If Bonnie had attached his friend or whatever Damon was, she was sure that he would not be as merciful with her friend as he had been with her._

_"The war is lost you know. It was obvious from where I stood on the Wall", Bonnie said her eyes filling with worries again._

_"I know", the constant screams was all the confirmation Caroline needed, "we'll figure it out tomorrow"._

_"The vampire isn't dead, they know I am a witch Care, they'll…"_

_"Hey calm down. It will all be fine; I've got your back okay? Being a witch just ensures that they won't kill you on the spot or use you as nothing more than food or entertainment. And you have two years before they can force you to do anything. _Two years._ Everything will work out I promise"._

_"You are right I guess, I just can't help but worry after everything that happened tonight"._

_"Of course I am right Bon, now enough with the worries I'm going to clean up a bit and you should go check up on your Grams"._

_The two girls smiled at each other and then they parted ways._

_Whilst Caroline was changing into a new dress she thought that maybe what she had said to Bonnie earlier about things working out weren't all lies. They had survived through that night; they could survive through everything else as well. She could still hear the sound of fighting from outside but she refused to give up. They had gotten this far and she just did not want to believe that things could only get worse. But just as she was thinking this she heard another scream, this time the scream was coming from inside the house; _Bonnie_._

_Caroline run quickly down the stairs and stormed inside the room where Bonnie's grandmother was resting. As she walked inside she realized how foolish she was for thinking that everything could be fine. As she looked at Bonnie crying and screaming above her grandmother's dead body, shaking her in hope that she would wake up, she realized that things could indeed only get worse, _would_ get worse._

_Caroline was frozen in place against the doorway trying to keep the tears from falling at the image of her friend crying while she repeated again and again '_she can't be dead, she just can't be dead_'. She snapped out of her haze and moved to hug Bonnie from behind pulling her back from the dead body who used to be her grandmother. She kept her close trying to take away the pain wishing for something, anything to take away the pain; to make it all just a bad dream they would soon wake up from. But nothing happened, it wasn't a bad dream, this was reality. She hugged Bonnie tighter whispering promises like the ones she had said before, that everything would be okay, that it would all get better. And for the first time she realized that she was lying. The war was lost and their lives would be hell from now on. She cried for that; she cried for the lives they could have had, for the people they had lost and for the ones they would lose, she cried knowing that this was only the beginning._

_The rest of the night passed like that. The two girls sat on the floor together, hugging, trying to make the pain go away. They had moved to Caroline's bedroom so Bonnie wouldn't have to watch her grandmother's dead body. Once her friend fell asleep Caroline made sure she was comfortable before moving down stairs to cover the body; she knew it was pointless considering what was bound to happen tomorrow but she just couldn't let the elder woman like that. She got into her mother's bedroom after that wanting to stay with her for a while before morning came and things changed forever. She was laying there so quietly barely moving that for a moment Caroline wondered if she was dead as well. She snapped out of it quickly noticing her mother's steady breathing but that moment was enough to make her realize even more what a nightmare her life had become._

_She sat there all night watching her mom sleep, wishing for things to get better even though she knew they wouldn't. She was glad that her mother had not woken up at all during the night, especially before with Bonnie's screams; she was probably too exhausted by her disease. It was better to tell her mother of the night's events in the morning. Sheila was her friend it would hurt her to know that she was dead. For a minute Caroline wondered what she was. Was she a dead woman walking? Tomorrow would show._

_And as tomorrow came Caroline found herself looking outside the window of her mother's bedroom at where the wall surrounding Mystic Falls used to be. Now it was burnt to the ground and nothing remained but ruins. The war was lost for good. It was time to wake up her mother she decided, she knew that soon soldiers would come knocking on her door or rather knocking it down._

_"Wake up mom" she said softly nudging her._

_"Hey, good morning", her mom murmured back sleepily._

_"Hi. You need to get up now. Last night didn't go so well"._

_"We lost didn't we?"_

_"From the looks of it", Caroline said sadly glancing briefly towards the window, "there's something else though"._

_"What is it?"_

_Her mother slowly sat up on the bed, Caroline inspected her; she looked better today, healthier. She took a big breath before speaking; knowing that news of Sheila's death would hurt her mother._

_"Sheila is dead", she said with finality as she watched her mother's face for reactions; first came the shock and then the overwhelming sadness once she realized that a loved one was gone for good, then came the anger._

_"Who did it? How do you even know this? She was supposed to be at the wall"._

_Caroline briefly explained the events of the previous night, leaving out the part about the meetings with the vampires; she didn't need to worry her mother even further. Liz's eyes teared up as she heard the story, the fact that her friend was dead slowly sinking in. That woman had been a friend of her own mother and she had become her own with time as she grew older._

_"She shouldn't have gone there, she knew she wasn't strong enough and that the spells would wear her out. I should have stopped her"._

_Caroline moved closer and hugged her reassuringly just as she had done with Bonnie last night._

_"Mom there was nothing you could have done"._

_"That's not true. I failed her just like I failed you. I should have protected you and I should have protected her but I didn't"._

_Caroline knew what her mother was referring to and she unconsciously looked down on her right leg where the scar was but she shook her head trying to forget all memories of that day. It had taken her too long to move past it and to be able to look at her father the same way again. She wanted nothing more than to forget that memory. She hated that scar and that memory; they reminded her of how weak she was._

_"What is done is done now mom", she said that a little harsher than she intended causing her mother to slightly wince at her tone, "you need to get ready the soldiers will be here soon", Caroline continued softer this time before leaving the room._

_She went inside her room to check up on Bonnie but she found her friend missing. Taking a deep breath she moved downstairs and knocked lightly to the room where Sheila's body rested where she was sure she would find Bonnie._

_"Come in", she heard Bonnie say while sniffing._

_"Hey Bon. Are you ready? They'll be here any minute"._

_"Yeah, what are we going to do about…" Bonnie said motioning to her dead grandmother._

_"I don't know, my mom will know what to do once we return from everything", if we return Caroline thought but she didn't say anything._

_"Okay", Bonnie replied shakily._

_"Hey don't worry. You are a witch and they know it; no one will harm you"._

_"And what about you Care? Who looks out for you?"_

_"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine". _Lie_, she thought. She had no idea what was going to happen and her nerves were killing her, "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me", Caroline said exiting the room and offering her friend the space she knew she needed before everything went down._

As she sat in the kitchen she took a moment to appreciate this; how good her life used to be. She knew her life would change for the worst and she was terrified of what was to come even though she'd never admit it. She had asked Bonnie and her mother to get ready but she didn't know if she was ready and what exactly to be ready for.

However she had no more time to dwell on the matter. There was loud banging at her front door and then she heard the door collapse to the ground. She made no movements to see who it was or talk to them. She knew what was happening and she knew that embracing it passively was smarter than fighting it. _So this was what she would end up to be; a passive, helpless little girl that vampires can push around?_

She could hear footsteps, people moving around her house, some came where she was and she looked up at them scared but not saying anything; she was in a haze, still deep in thought, she wanted to scream and run but something was keeping her in place. One of the men moved forward a wicked smile on his face and a sword on his hand pointing at her.

"Get up you are coming with us".

She slowly got up, hands in the air, making sure that they would not think she had something else in mind other than surrendering but as soon as she got up the man moved quickly next to her and grabbed her forcefully by the arm pulling her in his direction. She whimpered and he offered her another wicked smile in response.

He pushed her forward and she started walking towards the destroyed door while the soldier's sword was touching her back lightly, warning her of what was to happen if she tried to escape; _as if he needed a sword_, she thought, he was a werewolf and he could tear her apart at any moment. She moved out of her home and a moment later she saw Bonnie and her mother being "escorted" out as well.

The soldiers were moving them towards the town square. Caroline briefly wondered what would happen at Sheila's body. She knew that there would be no funeral, no goodbyes. Vampires were known to burn entire villages after they had taken them, every single home; fire was their weakness but they used it as a weapon to show their power. This war destroyed everything it found.

They had reached their destination and Caroline forced herself to stop thinking of the tragedies that had already happened and the ones that were meant to follow. She looked around the crowd looking for Katherine and Elena, wondering what had become of Jeremy and their father, but she could not find them in the mess. Jeremy and Grayson could be dead, she thought, her thoughts going on that path again, thinking of what she could lose and what she had already lost.

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to block it all out, clinging on a happy memory of her with Bonnie, Katherine and Elena before the war started. The waterfalls ahead of them and the sounds of their laughter filling the air. But as she opened her eyes, the waterfalls disappeared and she realized that the soldiers that were previously behind her had moved around the town square surrounding all the people, so that no one would escape. They were all facing a small stand, from where she assumed "announcements" would be made. She saw a man move towards it. In a matter of seconds all hopes would be crushed, they would know who was dead and who was alive and they would know what was to come to the ones that lived. _She took a deep breath and braced herself for the hit_.

**And I won't die alone and be left there.  
Well I guess I'll just go home,  
Or God knows where.  
Because death is just so full and man so small.  
Well I'm scared of what's behind and what's before. (Mumford and Sons-After the storm)**

* * *

**A/N: **So what did you guys think? Did you like it? Was it good? Please review I really want to know what you guys think about this... Pretty please!

What did you think of the Klaus POV in this chapter? Aweful? Bad? Good?

I'm sorry that there is no Klaus/Caroline interaction in this chapter but don't worry next chapter you'll see them meet again. I wanted to post the two chapters as one (this one and the next one) but the chapter ended up huge so I decided to cut it in half.

I promise to update fast and I will keep my promise this time, again I am so sorry. Have a nice day guys, see you soon. Don't forget to review... ;)


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